Help with long tone performance.

--and having worked on long tones last night - I mostly have soreness in the corners of my jaw. The only way for me to get good clear tones in the upper reg (up to 5th line F +) is by playing there -- I still ain't got the "its' easy" to play there -- like all these other guys say. But working on the upper reg and playing scales in 2 or 3 octaves is a great help --that is slowly and methodically. AND I have to keep this in perspective -- it's a comeback whereby in 25 months - I am way better than the previous 25 or so years of playing. Maybe I should have quit for 7 years a long long time ago.

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Thanks for the perspective. I am about to start my practice soon and I will try Markie's breathing image.

Well, I wanted to wait a couple of days before I reported back. Yesterday was good and today was even better. I am much happier. Still not perfect by any stretch of the imagination, but much easier. I am more than just "barely surviving" the exercise at the end, as before. It is yet another example of how important breathing and air use is. I continue to be amazed by this. Thanks all.

Well, I wanted to wait a couple of days before I reported back. Yesterday was good and today was even better. I am much happier. Still not perfect by any stretch of the imagination, but much easier. I am more than just "barely surviving" the exercise at the end, as before. It is yet another example of how important breathing and air use is. I continue to be amazed by this. Thanks all.

BrotherBACH

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That's great!! Yes, air is a big issue with brass players. When you think about it, a trumpet is just a tool for projecting the music you are trying to convey. As such, learning what's needed so the tool does most of the work (and not you), starts with how to use air that makes the tool run.
Sounds to me like you're heading in the right direction! Great Job!!!

That's great!! Yes, air is a big issue with brass players. When you think about it, a trumpet is just a tool for projecting the music you are trying to convey. As such, learning what's needed so the tool does most of the work (and not you), starts with how to use air that makes the tool run.
Sounds to me like you're heading in the right direction! Great Job!!!

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agreed, thats a huge problem for us. but as my tutor once said, "its not how much air your using, but how much of it is vibrating." took me a while to figure that out, but yep, he was right.

Thanks for the perspective. I am about to start my practice soon and I will try Markie's breathing image.

BrotherBACH

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great - glad I could help, I knew sooner or later if I posted hundreds of times, that someone would find valuable information in my successes with the trumpet, and also some of my frsutrations.
play, and be happy
ken